Seal



Mar. 6, 1923. 1,447,691 H. R. ROG E RS SEAL Filed June '18, 192l Patented Mar. 6, 1923.

UNITED STATES rarer PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY 3. ROGERS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CHICAGO CAR SEAL COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF -ILLINOIS.

SEAL.

Application filed June 18, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY R. Roenns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Seals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to selflocking seals, or snap-seals. Such seals are adapted for usein sealing railway cars, and for other purposes.

The primary object isto provide an improved seal of this character which can be manufactured inexpensively, which is secure, and which can not be tampered with, or opened, without the fact being readily noticeable.

The invention is illustrated, in its, preferred embodiment, in the accompanying "drawing, in which Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of the improved seal, in its preferred embodiment, in locked condition; Fig. 2, a plan view of the seal before the end portion which carries the locking member is folded on the adjoining portion; Fig. 3, a section taken as indicated at line 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a similar section of the seal in its completed condition; Fig. 5, an enlarged broken sectional view of the seal in locked condition; Fig. 6, a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing a modification; and Fig. 7 a view similar to Fig. 5, but further illustrating themodification shown in Fig. 6.

Referring to the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the invention, in its preferred embodiment, comprises a shacklestrip 1 provided at one end portion with a locking socket 2 and provided at the other end with a locking stud 3.

V The socket 2 is preferably formed integrally with the end portion 1% of the strip 1, which is adapted to be folded back on the body of the strip. The line of folding is designated 4. The strip is shown weakened at the line of folding by a. line of perforations. The weakening may be effected in any desired manner, or this feature may be omitted, if desired.

Serial No. 478.559.

The socket preferably is formed by cupping the metal and punching a hole thru the cupped portion- This provides an annular embossment or run, and this 1s provided with radial slits 2, leaving between the slits the inwardly convergent spring prongs which make up the interlocking portion of 'the socket. Preferably, the locking prongs of the socket are not separated from each other normally. They will yield,however, to admit the flanged head of the locking stud 3, after which they will engage beneath the flange and prevent withdrawal of the "stud.

'so that the stud may extend therethru.

However, when the strip is folded *in the manner shown in Fig. 4, the cup 5 serves to cover one end of thesocket, a sufficient space 7 beingleft between the bottom of the cup and the .socket to admit the flange of the locking stud.

The locking stud 3 is shown as comprising a tubular member which has areduced shank extending thru aperforation in the other extremity of the strip 1,.the reduced shank being clenched in the perforation by means of an operation which produces a flange 3. The free end of the locking stud 3 is provided with an external flange 3 which may be snapped thru the socket 2 and which will thereupon be engaged by the locking prongs of the. socket ,in the manner illustrated in 5.

It will .benoted that the finished condition ofthe seal, the locking stud 3 and the locking socket 2 are on the same side of the shackle-strip. The locking prongs of the socket 2, however. extend towards the opposite side of the shackle-strip, so that when the strip is folded to form its central portion into a loop, the stud 3 may be entered in the socket and the flange 3 of the locking stud will engage the prongs of the locking socket.

By observing Fig. 5, it will be noted that the annular interlocking engagement be- .tween-thepstud 8 and the socket 2 is housed in the cup 5. A portion of the body of the strip 1 therefore serves to cover the interlocking socket atone side, while theend-portion of the strip which carries the stud 3 covers the base portion of the socket and prevents access from that side of the seal.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6.and 7, the shackle-strip is designated 6, and the folded end portion of the strip is designated 6 The locking socket is designated 7 and the ,locking stud is designated 8. In this case, the metal in which the locking socket ,is formed is struck up to form an embossment .7; .and the bottom portion of this embossment is then struck downwardly to form an inner :emhossmcnt. This inner embossment has its bottomcutout to provide a perforation, and the walls of the remaining portion of the embossment are slitted as indicated at 7 thus forming the locking socket. In view of this expedient, it is unnecessary to provide a cup similar to the cup .5 for accommodating the socket. However, it will ,be understood from Fig. 6 that it becomes desirable in this construction to mount the stud 8 in the bottom of ,a cup 9, which is struck in the end portion of the strip. hen the seal is completed and the stud interlocked with the socket, in the manner shown in Fig. 7, the embossment .9 serves as a housing to accommodate the socket The socket thus is covered on one side by the embossment 9 .and on the other side by thebody .of the strip 6. In this case, as has been pointed out, it is unnecessary to cap the strip (3 in the manner described in connection'with the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive.

In practice, the seal is made of suitable dimensions, so that one end may be passed thru a perforation in the pin which serves t0 {Secure the hasp of the car-door. After the shackle is entered in the perforation of the pin, the shackle-strip is looped in the manner shown in Fig. 1 and the stud is snapped into engagement with the socket. This may be accomplished by pressure eX- erted by the thumb and fingers. The locking parts are so securely interlocked and housed that it is impossible to gain access to effect separation of the interlocking parts. If it be attempted to forcibly withdraw the stud from the socket, exertion of anv conslderable force will serve to ruptui-e the Shackle-strip before the stud can be with drawn from the socket. A line of weakening across the shackle-strip may be emploved, if desired, to insure the rupture of the strip.

before the locking stud can be withdrawn from the socket.

A modification of the invention is illustrated in my application Serial No. 478,560, filed in the United States Patent Office of even date herewith.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible in view of the prior art.

What I regard as new, and desire to se cure by Letters Patent, is

1. A seal comprising a shackle-strip, a -.l.ooking-stud carried by oneiendofsaid strip, and an open uncovered locking socket carried by the other extremity of said strip, the strip being so folded on :itself as to reverse the position of the socket and thereby cover one of the open ends thereof by means of the strip, said locking stud being adapted to enter the remaining open end of the socket and interlock withthe' socket.

2. A seal comprising a. shackle-strip, a locking stud carried by one end of said strip, and an open locking socket formed by cupp-ingan'd perforating the metal of said strip at the other extremity, the strip being so folded on itself as to reverse the position. of said socket and thereby cover one of the open ends of the socket with the strip, said locking stud being adapted to enter the remaining open end of the socket'and interlock with the socket.

3. A seal comprising a shackle-strip, an open locking socket carried by one extreme end of said strip, the strip being so folded .on itself near said end as to reverse the position of said socket and cause one end of the socket to be closed by the body of the strip, and locking stud carried by the other end of said strip and disposed on the same side thereof as is said socket.

i. A seal comprisinga shackle-strip having an open-ended socket formed in one end portion thereof and having a cupped portion adjacent said end portion, the end portion being folded on the body of the strip to bring the socket within said cupped portion, and a locking stud carried by the other end of the strip and dis-posed on the same side of the strip as is said socket.

5. A seal comprising ashackle-strip, a locking stud carried by one end of said strip, and an open locking socket formed in the metal of said strip at the other extremity, the strip being so folded on itself as to reverse the position of said socket and thereby cover one of the open ends of the socket, said locking stud being adapted to enter the remaining open end of the socket and interlock with the socket, the lineof' folding of said strip being weakened in such manner that the stri will be ruptured at the line of folding iI' an effort be made to forcibly Withdraw the locking stud from the socket.

6. A sealing strip adapted to form a seal, comprising a sheet-metal strip having a locking stud secured to one end thereof, the other end of said strip having the metal forming an annular cone which is slitted,

said cone projecting on the same side of the strip as does said locking stud, and said strip being provided a short distance from said cone With a cup portion adapted to receive the cone when the strip is folded on itself.

HARRY R. ROGERS. 

